Florida green watersnake, Eastern green watersnake
Nerodia floridana, commonly known as the Florida Green Watersnake, or Eastern Green Watersnake, is a harmless North American species of water snakes in the family Colubridae.
N. floridana is the largest watersnake in North America. Fully grown it will typically reach 76–140 cm (30–55 in) in total length (including tail), with the record-sized specimen having measured 188 cm (74 in) in total length. Its coloration is solid grey or greenish-brownish with a white or yellow belly in adults, which darkens in color under the tail. Encircling the lower half of the eye is a row of scales, which is separate from the upper lip scales. Among all southeastern (U.S.) snakes, only the western green water snake has these features. Juveniles have typically, about 50 dark crossbars down the dorsum and on the sides, which fade gradually with age.
In southern Florida, N. floridana is active year round. Like other water snakes of the southeastern U.S., N. floridana hibernates during the winter in the northern, coldest parts of its range. In colder areas and months, the snake can be seen basking outdoors on sunny days. In southern Florida, it often travels overland on rainy days.
Little is known about the diet of the N. floridana. Most reports suggest that their diet consists primarily of fish, including sunfish, crappies, and small bass. They also feed on frogs, especially pig frogs, tadpoles and salamander. Little is known about their methods for finding prey, but like other water snakes, the N. floridana swallows its prey alive.
This species bears live young (ovoviviparous) like other North American water snakes. A few observations have been made of matings in late winter or early spring. Females generally have very large litters and give birth in the summer. The size of the litter ranges from 20 to 40, and the young are typically born from June to September. The record litter for the species was 132 babies, taken from a dead female.
The species is abundant in many wetland areas, except for the northern areas of its range. Thousands of N. floridana' s die annually on Florida roads and highways near wetland habitats. In Georgia and South Carolina N. floridana is considered "state imperiled".
